2009 News

Dalziel Back To Daytona Prototypes with Orbit Racing

Orlando, Florida (June 30, 2009) – Scotland’s Ryan Dalziel will be back behind the wheel of a Daytona Prototype race car this weekend, Saturday 4th July, at the ‘Brumos Porsche 250’ at Daytona International Speedway, Florida, having been signed to see out the remainder of Orbit Racing’s season in the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16.

The 27-year-old from Lanarkshire has made just two starts in the series this year and recently announced his plans to bolster his on-track activities having also signed to compete in the 2009 Koni Sports Car Challenge, sanctioned by Grand-Am, with Virginia’s Motorsport Technology Group.

Dalziel is a previous winner in the Daytona Prototype class, having scored his maiden victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last May. That experience, as well as his natural race craft, will now be applied behind the wheel of Orbit Racing’s #45 BMW-Riley Daytona Prototype, with Ryan partnering the team’s regular season racer, Washington D.C.’s Bill Lester.

“I’m naturally delighted to finally be back regularly racing a Daytona Prototype,” stated Dalziel from his base in Orlando, Florida. “My thanks go to team owner Roger Hawley and team manager Peter Baron, who I’ve known and raced for over the past five seasons, for giving me something concrete to look forward to in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

“It’s been a rough few months for me and it’s kind of ironic that it’s been a year to this event since I last had a full-time ride. That said, it’s a great race to come back with given we’re on-track just ahead of the NASCAR main event so the grandstands are going to be packed. I’ve always been successful at Daytona, I was running third there last year before some issues halted our race and it was pretty much the same package we’ve got returning here this weekend, including working with my engineer Steve Challis. I’m looking for a strong outing but more than that it’s great to be back in action.”

Saturday’s ‘Independence Day’ spectacular will play out over 250-miles on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway road course at the Daytona International Speedway. The race, Round 7 of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, starts at 2pm EST with SPEED broadcasting the race live.